Moments hanging laundry are usually very introspective for me. It's quiet. I am outside. And generally, no one is around. The perfect combination for clearly my mind of the useless chatter that normally occupies that space. I used to run to do it. Now I hang clothes on the line.
I was having one of my hanging laundry meditation sessions when I found myself processing all the challenges that August presented us . August was so challenging for us as a family that on August 30th John pronounced with relief “tomorrow is the last day of August”.
We try hard to cultivate peace in our lives, but August kept asking us, “Are you sure you don’t want to fight?” “Are you sure you don’t want to be reactionary?” “Are you sure you don’t want revenge?” "Are you ready to give up?" As we emphatically claimed “we don’t want to fight… we only want to react with compassion and understanding… we don’t want revenge....we will move forward one breath at a time,” the world slung one unbelievable situation after another at us. We learned to duck, retreat, and take a lot of deep breaths. Trust me, we have faced challenges that surpass what August had to offer, but never so many different obstacles from so many different directions in such a short period of time.
But in this quiet moment I had hanging laundry, I looked up at the sky. Another absolutely beautiful day telling me that peace is always possible. It may not be easy as you think it will be or should be. But it is always possible. Every one of our “situations,” while not completely resolved, has fizzled out. We survived walking through a battlefield without fighting back.
Then, I looked down and saw a feather.
Feathers are like gifts from the heavens that say, “Hey, you are on the right track.”
The peace feather…
like a flag claiming this territory…
a tiny speck of territory...
and at least for this moment…
there is peace.
How have you claimed peace in your life lately? I’d love to hear…
What a beautiful post!!! For me Peace often comes during thunderstorms... I know its twisted but the rain is therapeutic for me!
ReplyDeleteDear Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteThis post is stunning, thank you for sharing such beauty. I absolutely understand what it is you are sharing about, these difficult times when you look for peace, meditation through hanging laundry, and finding special meaning through feathers, I feel the same way. It is rare and lovely to read a post like this that I can really relate to in such a meaningful way thank you for always writing such mindful posts. Have you read Peace is every step?
http://www.amazon.com/Peace-Every-Step-Mindfulness-Everyday/dp/0553351397/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_a
thank you for sharing your beautiful light.
ReplyDeleteI love your outlook. Sorry to hear August was such a rough month. September will surely give a fresh start.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautifully written post, Elizabeth, thank you for sharing yourself like this.
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your family a truly peaceful September (and October, and November, and on and on :-)
~Michelle